#Holocaust and Disaster Studies

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Israeli Holocaust historian Omer Bartov:

it is important to put the current events in the correct historical context and to diagnose as best we can their deeper causes. A misdiagnosis of such causes, or a denial of them altogether, will only make things worse. It would appear that precisely because of this misdiagnosis or denial, Israel is currently balanced over a precipice, as an increasing number of well-informed commentators are warning (see for instance Thomas Friedman’s op-ed in the NYT). The potential for a regional, if not world-wide conflict, is growing. Making things worse is Israel’s forced displacement of over a million civilians—the majority of whom are Palestinian refugees of the 1948 Nakba and their descendants—from their homes in the northern part of Gaza to the southern part, even as the IDF is now reducing much of that northern part to rubble. By most accounts it has already killed ten times as many Palestinians, including numerous children (who make up 50% of the overall population there), as those murdered by Hamas. Most recently, displaced Gazans in the eastern part of the southern Strip have been ordered to move to its western part, adding even more to the congestion. This military policy is creating an untenable humanitarian crisis, which will only worsen over time. The population of Gaza has nowhere to go, and its infrastructure is being demolished.

In justifying these actions, Israeli leaders and generals have made terrifying pronouncements. On October 7, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Gazans would pay a “huge price” for the attack by Hamas, and that the IDF would turn parts of Gaza’s densely populated urban centers “into rubble.” On Oct. 28, he added, citing Deuteronomy, “You must remember what Amalek did to you.” As many Israelis know, in revenge for the attack by Amalek, the Bible calls to “kill alike men and women, infants and sucklings.” Israeli President Yitzhak Herzog condemned all Palestinians in Gaza: “It is an entire nation out there that is responsible. It is not true this rhetoric about civilians not being aware, not involved. It’s absolutely not true.” Israeli Minister of Energy and Infrastructure Israel Katz similarly stated: “No electrical switch will be turned on, no water hydrant will be opened and no fuel truck will enter, until the abductees return home.” Member of Knesset Ariel Kallner wrote on social media on October 7: “Right now, one goal: Nakba! A Nakba that will overshadow the Nakba of ‘48. Nakba in Gaza and Nakba to anyone who dares to join!” No one in the government denounced that statement. Instead, on November 11, security cabinet member and Agriculture Minister Avi Dichter reiterated: “We are now rolling out the Gaza Nakba.”

Israel’s defense minister, Yoav Gallant, stated on October 9, “we are fighting human animals and we will act accordingly,” a statement indicating a dehumanization of people that has genocidal echoes. He later announced that he had “removed every restriction” on Israeli forces, and that “Gaza won’t return to what it was before. We will eliminate everything.” On October 10, the head of the Israeli army’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), Major General Ghassan Alian, addressed the population of Gaza in Arabic, stating: “Human animals must be treated as such. There will be no electricity and no water, there will only be destruction. You wanted hell, you will get hell.” The same day, Israeli army spokesperson Daniel Hagari announced that in the bombing campaign in Gaza, “the emphasis is on damage and not on accuracy.” Also on October 10, Major General Giora Eiland wrote in the mass circulation daily Yedioth Ahronoth: “The State of Israel has no choice but to turn Gaza into a place that is temporarily or permanently impossible to live in,” adding that “Creating a severe humanitarian crisis in Gaza is a necessary means to achieving the goal,” and that “Gaza will become a place where no human being can exist.”

Omer Bartov :: Co-Chair, Genocide, Holocaust and Disaster Studies, CGC; Author “Genocide, the Holocaust and Israel-Palestine: First-Person History in Times of Crisis”

[thebrightestwitchofherage]

A brief History of Mizrahi Jews in Arabic countries and Their expulsion

A\N: While I am an Ashkenazi Jew, I have done A LOT of research, and have both Iraqi friends and relatives to corroborate this with. Also, I'm petty - an Iraqi user who comments regularly on my posts seems to forget about his own country's Jewish history... Well, I hope he forgot instead of the more likely reality: It seems like Arabic people nowadays aren't aware of Jewish history in their countries since they either killed to expelled them all. Thus is born the constant argument that all Jews originated in Europe and are merely settlers in the Middle East.

I realized that what may be obvious to me won't be obvious to others since I'm a history nerd who grew up in Israel with plenty of rich archeological evidence and resources surrounding me. I'm happy to make these posts in hopes of educating others and contributing my part to ending antisemitism and prejudice. ___________________

You might have seen the following picture in one of my previous posts:

It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words. Unfortunately, in this case, it concludes hundreds of years of discrimination, violence, and exile for Mizrahi Jews. * It is important to note that numbers are slightly varied between sources, but the meaning is clear.

In a nutshell- all throughout history, the fate of Jewish people in countries where they weren't the religious majority was the same:

Discriminatory laws, blood libels, being blamed for disasters > violence & murder > Pogroms * > and eventually- exile or mass murder AKA ethnic cleansing \ genocide.

Pogrom-  the term refers to violent attacks by local non-Jewish populations on Jews in the Russian Empire and in other countries.

Every Jewish community has its own Pogrom. While my side of the family might immediately think of the Kristallnacht or persecution & pogroms in Hungary, it is different for Jews from different backgrounds. You can read about a few cases of forced conversion to Islam here.

A brief History of the land of Israel

The land of Israel has always been considered a strategic passageway, and so many empires throughout history have conquered it:

* I simply cannot accurately write 3000+ years of Jewish history in the land of Israel. I found that this video summarizes it perfectly.

Exile from the land of Israel

Jews were exiled from the land of Israel numerous times since the Assyrian empire conquered Israel in 732 BCE, to what we call "the diaspora" גולה. It was not by choice and we were persecuted everywhere we went.

Jews were not allowed to legally return to Israel until 1948 when the British mandate over the land of Israel ended and Israel was formed. Yes, even during the Holocaust.

The Jewish answer to exile - Aliyah עליה There have been 5 waves of illegal immigration from all over the world to the land of Israel before 1948, recorded in modern times.

Chart taken from Wikipedia (their chart was the best I could find in English)

Forced Conversion

Whether in conquered Israel or in exile, Jews were often forced to convert to either Christianity or Islam. The choice was between conversion or death.

*You can read more about some of the forced conversion of Jews during history here and here.

First Case study- The last jew of Peki'in, Margalit Zinati

Peki'in is an ancient village in the upper Galilee, Northern Israel. Nowadays, its population is mostly Druze.

Peki'in has had a Jewish presence since the Second Temple period, until Arab riots in the 1930s*. Meet the remaining member of the Zinatis, the only family who returned. (aish.com)

*Read more on the Arab riots of the 1930s here and here. Margalit is currently the last Jew living in the village of Peki'in . She is the last direct descendent of the Zinati Cohen family. The Zinati family's origins are dated back to the Second Temple era. The former Jewish community of Peki'in maintained a presence there since the Second Temple period (516 BCE – 70 CE). That is when the polytheistic Persian Empire conquered the land of Israel. For reference- that was approximately 500 years before Jesus was even born! "During which the Second Temple stood in the city of Jerusalem. It began with the return to Zion and subsequent reconstruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, and ended with the First Jewish–Roman War and the Roman siege of Jerusalem." (Wikipedia)

As an adult, Margalit chose to not marry so she could stay in Peki'in and continue her family's Jewish legacy in Peki'in. She later became in charge of the ancient synagogue in the village and turned her basement into a visiting center \ museum of Jewish history in Peki'in- "House of Zinati". in 2018, she lit up a torch as part of Israel's 70th Independence Day Torch lighting ceremony (which is considered an honor given to influential and trailblazing people).

-Margalit Zinati pictured in the Peki'in Synagogue yard, 2016 Picture taken from Wikipedia, uploaded by Deror Avi.

Second Case study - Iraqi Jews (Babylonian Jews \ יְהוּדִים בָּבְלִים)

Iraqi Jews are one of the oldest documented Jewish communities living in the Middle East. It is estimated that they originated around 600 BC.ת

The Farhud الفرهود הפרהוד

Unfortunately, Iraqi Jewish history ended in the same pattern I've described earlier. The Farhud was the violent mass dispossession against the Jewish population of Baghdad, Iraq between 1-2 June 1941. was the pogrom or the "violent dispossession" that was carried out against the Jewish population of Baghdad, Iraq, on 1–2 June 1941, It immediately followed the British victory in the Anglo-Iraqi War.

Background for the Farhud:

WW2- At the time, many Arabic countries in the Middle East agreed with Nazi ideology.

History of violence towards Jews.

The Anglo-Iraqi War (2–31 May 1941) - caused rising tension, and as usual, it was turned on the Jews.

personal family ties to the Farhud My relative was born in 1939 in Iraq, to a big upper-class Jewish family. Unfortunately, the mass exile of Jews in the 1950s didn't skip her family: she was stripped of her belongings and exiled to Israel along with her family. In the 1950s there were approximately 140,000 Iraqi Jews. As of 2021, there are only 4 left.

----------------- Please feel free to add anything I missed in the notes. And as usual - remember I am a human being. If you cuss or harass me, I will block and report you.

______________

Online Sources: * https://www.israelhayom.co.il/article/865383 - Hebrew article, Title means "Sad ending to a magnificent history: Only 4 Jews left in Iraq".

What was the Farhud https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farhud

History of the Jewish community in Baghdad https://cojs.org/the_jewish_community_in_baghdad_in_the_eighteenth_century-_zvi_yehuda-_nehardea-_babylonian_jewry_heritage_center-_2003/

What are Pogroms?https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/pogroms?gclid=Cj0KCQiAkeSsBhDUARIsAK3tiedM7DuwIaSQX-kRxvXTgCDxN6-zqeo_DNNFgyanSYGyGOhwu_0vfrkaAg6REALw_wcB

The last Jew of Peki'in, Margalit Zinati https://aish.com/the-last-jew-of-pekiin/

Arab riots of 1930s- https://www.gov.il/en/Departments/General/ben_zvi_30 https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/the-1936-arab-riots

Israel's history from ancient times & timeline : https://www.travelingisrael.com/timeline-land-israel/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=iiUIWnU-Ofk

Second Temple era - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Temple_period

Forced conversion of Jews across history- https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt18mvnct.7?seq=4

https://academic.oup.com/book/32113/chapter-abstract/268043723?redirectedFrom=fulltext

[david-goldrock]

*Announcement from Kibbutz Nir Oz spokesperson regarding the return of the body of the late Alex Danzig | 08.20.24*

Alex Danzig, who was kidnapped on Saturday the seventh of October and murdered after suffering physical and mental torture for months, was today returned to his home and family for a final farewell and will be brought to burial in the land of Israel.

Alex was 75 years old, a member of Kibbutz Nir Oz. Father of four children, grandfather of 12 granddaughters and a grandson. He dedicated his life's work to studying and teaching about the Holocaust and the relationship between Jews and Poles, and at the same time he worked for many years cultivating the fields he loved so much. In this way, Alex formed a bridge between different worlds: between the spirit and the book and the earth and the fields, between Israel and Poland, between the Holocaust and its resurrection.

Bringing Alex for burial is another step in Kibbutz Nir Oz's path to rehabilitation after the great disaster, a rehabilitation that cannot be complete without returning all the abductees to their homes and the murdered to a suitable burial in the land they dedicated their lives to. The State of Israel has the duty to return everyone home, as soon as possible.

[gatheringbones]

[“Gustaw Herling-Grudziński, who endured Stalin’s Gulag while his brother was sheltering Jews, wrote that “a man can be human only under human conditions.” The purpose of the state is to preserve these conditions, so that its citizens need not see personal survival as their only goal.

The state is for the recognition, endorsement, and protection of rights, which means creating the conditions under which rights can be recognized, endorsed, and protected. The state endures to create a sense of durability.

A final plurality thus has to do with time. When we lack a sense of past and future, the present feels like a shaky platform, an uncertain basis for action. The defense of states and rights is impossible to undertake if no one learns from the past or believes in the future. Awareness of history permits recognition of ideological traps and generates skepticism about demands for immediate action because everything has suddenly changed. Confidence in the future can make the world seem like something more than, in Hitler’s words, “the surface area of a precisely measured space.”

Time, the fourth dimension, can make the three dimensions of space seem less claustrophobic. Confidence in duration is the antidote to panic and the tonic of demagogy. A sense of the future has to be created in the present from what we know of the past, the fourth dimension built out from the three of daily life. In the case of climate change, we know what the state can do to tame panic and befriend time.

We know that it is easier and less costly to draw nourishment from plants than animals. We know that improvements in agricultural productivity continue and that the desalination of seawater is possible. We know that efficiency of energy use is the simplest way to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases. We know that governments can assign prices to carbon pollution and can pledge reductions of future emissions to one another and review one another’s pledges. We also know that governments can stimulate the development of appropriate energy technologies. Solar and wind energy are ever cheaper. Fusion, advanced fission, tidal stream power, and non-crop-based biofuels offer real hope for a new energy economy. In the long run, we will need techniques to capture and store carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

All of this is not only thinkable but attainable. States should invest in science so that the future can be calmly contemplated. The study of the past suggests why this would be a wise course. Time supports thought, thought supports time; structure supports plurality, and plurality, structure.

This line of reasoning is less glamorous than waiting for general disaster and dreaming of personal redemption. Effective prevention of mass killings is incremental and its heroes are invisible. No conception of a durable state can compete with visions of totality. No green politics will ever be as exciting as red blood on black earth. But opposing evil requires inspiration by what is sound rather than by what is resonant. The pluralities of nature and politics, order and freedom, past and future, are not as intoxicating as the totalitarian utopias of the last century. Every unity is beautiful as image but circular as logic and tyrannical as politics. The answer to those who seek totality is not anarchy, which is not totality’s enemy but its handmaiden. The answer is thoughtful, plural institutions: an unending labor of differentiated creation.

This is a matter of imagination, maturity, and survival. We share Hitler’s planet and several of his preoccupations; we have changed less than we think. We like our living space, we fantasize about destroying governments, we denigrate science, we dream of catastrophe. If we think that we are victims of some planetary conspiracy, we edge towards Hitler. If we believe that the Holocaust was a result of the inherent characteristics of Jews, Germans, Poles, Lithuanians, Ukrainians, or anyone else, then we are moving in Hitler’s world.”]

timothy snyder, from black earth: the holocaust as history and warning, 2015

[thinkingimages]

Yasuzo Nojima, photography (1931)

“Faustus: ‘Stay, Mephistopheles, and tell me, what good will my soul do thy lord?” Mephistopheles: ‘Enlarge his kingdom.'”

– Christopher Marlowe, Dr.Faustus

“In his book on poor cities of the South, Jeremy Seabrook chronicles the relentless calendar of disaster in Klong Toey, Bangkok’s port slum sandwiched between docks, chemical factories and expressways. In 1989 a chemical explosion poisoned hundreds of residents; two years later a chemical warehouse exploded and left 5,500 residents homeless – many of whom would later die from mysterious illnesses. Fire destroyed 63 homes in 1992, 460 homes in 1993 (also the year of another chemical explosion), and several hundred more in 1994. Thousands of other slums, including some in rich countries, have similar histories to Klong Toey. They suffer from the ‘garbage dump syndrome’: the concentration of toxic industrial activities like metal plating, dyeing, rendering, tanning, battery recycling, casting, vehicle repair, chemical manufacture, and so on, which middle classes would never tolerate in their own districts.

The world usually pays attention to such fatal admixtures of poverty and toxic industry only when they explode with mass casualties; 1984 was the annus horribilus. In February a gasoline pipeline exploded in Cubatao, Sao Paulo’s ‘Pollution Valley’, and burned more than 500 people to death in an adjacent favela. Eight months later a Pemex liquefied natural gas plant exploded like an atomic bomb in Mexico City’s San Juanico district, killing as many 2,000 poor residents (no accurate count of mortality was ever established).

Less than three weeks after the Mexico City holocaust, the Union Carbide plant in Bhopal, the capital of Madhya Pradesh, released its infamous cloud of deadly methyl isocynate; according to a 2004 study by Amnesty International, 7,000 to 10,000 people perished immediately and another 15,000 died in subsequent years from related illnesses and cancers.”  

– Mike Davis, 2005, Socialist Review

“Yes. As I often tell my students, the way in which you describe a problem, the language and aesthetics that you use to describe the politics of a particular problem, will absolutely effect the type of solution that resolves. { } Ontologically, they’re already guilty of being criminal whether or not they’ve actually engaged in any criminal behavior at all. I think the figure of innocence (our emphasis on and circulation of it) then obscures the fact that the counterpart to the innocent figure is the person who is guilty of a “status crime” for just being alive in Gaza, for instance.” 

– Mimi Thi Nguyen, in conversation with Leopold Lambert

“However, and this is an immense paradox, the great founding books of communities, the Old Testament, the Iliad, the Odyssey, the Chansons de Geste, the Islandic Sagas, the Aeneid,or the African epics, were all books about exile and often about errantry.”

– Edouard Glissant

Exile in antiquity was an exile without deprivation, says Glissant. And this is because it was a voyage from a culture, rather than from a *nation*. The stigma of national identity is the child of Western imperialism, really.

“The conquered or visited peoples are thus forced into a long and painful quest after an identity whose first task will be opposition to the denaturing process introduced by the conqueror. A tragic variation of a search for identity. For more than two centuries whole populations have had to assert their identity in opposition to the processes of identification or annihilation triggered by these invaders.”

– Edouard Glissant

....

[rescue-ram]

Had a thought on "dark fic" discourse

Like, I feel like "dark fic" gets used as short hand for either taboo fetishes or personal vent fics, both of which have their camps defending their right to exist literarily.

Do you know what kind of dark fic has no shooters? "Processing real life tragedies". Like, I'm thinking of the universal roasting the Destiel fic set in the midst of the Haitian hurricane, or how controversial fics that are like "Blorbos experience the AIDS epidemic" are.

I think that kind of dark fic- processing a real life tragedy by imagining stories within it- really shouldn't be as maligned as it is, although I get why it pisses people off. It can come off as unempathetic to the real people affected by the real tragedy- "Oh real XYZians aren't sympathetic enough, you have to imagine your little guys to care?" But I don't think it's any worse than the other two types of dark fic I mentioned, and I think they're all forms of traumatic play.

Traumatic play is a behavior seen in kids who are attempting to process something terrible that happened to them. I'm thinking of a case study I read back in the day- a little girl had been kidnapped, but was returned to her family essentially unharmed. She insisted it wasn't that big a deal. But she'd been driven in a car for hours and hours, and months after the trauma would compulsively play "Barbie goes on a road trip", where she would put her dolls in their car and circle them around the room over and over again. She hadn't been allowed out to use the toilet and been forced to soil herself then sit in the mess- and when she finally tired of driving her dolls she'd take them to the bathroom sink and compulsively wash them till their paint wore off and their hair fell out. The unusual and rigid play was her way of trying to take this terrifying situation she couldn't really understand and trying to make it small enough she could play through it over and over until she understood it.

Teenagers and adults don't usually play with dolls, but they do make art and write stories. If a sheltered teenager reads about a famine or genocide or disaster and is disturbed and writes a fic of "What if my Blorbo was there" they are trying to take the thing they don't understand and combine it with something they do understand and running through the scenario to process it. Like, is it immature and unsophisticated and tactless? Quite possibly. But are they anymore so than a mentally ill teen who writes about their Blorbo struggling with anorexia and self-harm, or the abuse victim imagining their Blorbo being victimized, or even someone exploring their sexuality by kinkifying their Blorbo? No, I don't think so!

Let's be real- I'm not going to say "all dark kink/vent fic is bad" but a lot of it is not good. So many kink fics have the barest resemblance to canon and just exist to give familiar faces to whatever fetishes the author is exploring. "Woobification" literally exists as a term to describe the process by which a character's traits are smushed and warped to make them a more sympathetic victim. Other darkfic is wildly gleefully out of character as Character A enacts all the darkest violent vengeful fantasies the author can think of. These kinds of fics aren't defended because they're better than "disaster dark fic" but they are more gratifying.

There's a sadomasochistic twinge to a lot of vent fic, either in a literally sexually titillating way, or in smushing the parts of our brain that smirk with schadenfreude or tear up in empathy. It is very obvious what psychological needs the author is gratifying, so a reader will either share in that reaction, or- even if they don't share it and even if they're judgy about it- at least understand why someone would write that kind of story. Coming across a fic set in a real world tragedy, it is not immediately what the author is getting out of this, so I think that knee jerk offended reaction of "Why on earth would you write fic set in the Holocaust???" or what have you is much more frequently expressed, and it's harder for the author to explain why because they probably don't know themselves- they probably just heard about it and their brain came up with an idea while they tried to understand it and they felt compelled to write it down.

But like, to answer the question of "who would write this"- a lot of people do! There are a lot of novels of varying accuracy tact and quality set in every conceivable war, disaster, or tragedy imaginable. And treating that kind of fic as uniquely cringe or offensive is I think limiting to authors developing the skills to tell those stories in a non-awful way.

Again this isn't to be wholly uncritical of "disaster dark fic" because I do think there's real criticism that a lot of those fics unintentionally trivialize real tragedies or center white western males over the real victims for example. But do they trivialize tragedy in a way that's unique from how other forms of dark fic can potentially trivialize rape, abuse, or mental illness, or reflect societal biases? I don't think so.

[ladyimaginarium]

Happy Indigenous Peoples' Day! Almost done Week 3!

𝖔𝖚𝖗 𝖈𝖑𝖆𝖘𝖘𝖊𝖘:

Be There Certificate via the Born This Way Foundation ✓

Faculty of Native Studies: Indigenous Canada via the University of Alberta ✓

Managing Emotions In Times Of Uncertainty & Stress via Yale University (upcoming)

Bioethics: The Law, Medicine, & Ethics Of Reproductive Technologies & Genetics via Harvard University (upcoming)

Understanding The Brain: The Neurobiology Of Everyday Life via the University of Chicago (upcoming)

Dino 101: Dinosaur Paleobiology via the University of Alberta (upcoming)

Stanford Introduction To Food & Health via Stanford University (upcoming)

Resilience In Children Exposed to Trauma, Disaster & War: Global Perspectives via the University of Minnesota (upcoming) ✓

Humanitarian Response To Conflict & Disaster via Harvard University (upcoming)

Suicide Prevention via Wesleyan University (upcoming)

Introduction To Psychology via the University of Toronto & Yale University (upcoming)

Introduction To Philosophy via The University of Edinburgh (upcoming)

Shakespeare's Life & Work via Harvard University (upcoming)

Ancient Masterpieces Of World Literature via Harvard University (upcoming)

Masterpieces Of World Literature via Harvard University (upcoming)

PredictionX: Omens, Oracles & Prophecies via Harvard University (upcoming)

Children's Human Rights - An Interdisciplinary Introduction via the Universite de Génève (upcoming)

Child Protection: Children's Rights in Theory & Practice via Harvard University (upcoming)

Early Childhood Development: Global Strategies For Intervention via Harvard University (upcoming)

Introduction To Family Engagement In Education via Harvard University (upcoming)

Religion, Conflict & Peace via Harvard University (upcoming)

Justice via Harvard University (upcoming)

Negotiating Salary via Harvard University (upcoming)

The Science Of Corresponding With Busy People via Harvard University (upcoming)

The Path To Happiness: What Chinese Philosophy Teaches Us About The Good Life via Harvard University (upcoming)

China's First Empires & The Rise Of Buddhism via Harvard University (upcoming)

Cosmopolitan Tang: Aristocratic Culture In China via Harvard University (upcoming)

Chinese Culture & Contemporary China via Nanjing University (upcoming)

Japanese Books: From Manuscript To Print via Harvard University (upcoming)

Deciphering Secrets: The Illuminated Manuscripts Of Medieval Europe via the University of Colorado (upcoming)

Introduction To Ancient Egypt & Its Civilization via the University of Pennsylvania (upcoming)

Pyramids Of Giza: Ancient Egyptian Art & Archaeology via Harvard University (upcoming)

Greek & Roman Mythology via the University of Pennsylvania (upcoming)

Antisemitism: From Its Origins To The Present via Yad Vashem, The World Holocaust Remembrance Center (upcoming)

American Deaf Culture via the University of Houston (upcoming)

Black Lives Matter via John Hopkins University (upcoming)

Asian American History & Identity: An Anti-Racism Tookit via the University of Colorado

Global Feminism In The 21st Century via Harvard University (upcoming)

Feminism & Social Justice via the University of Santa Cruz California (upcoming)

Gender & Sexuality: Diversity & Inclusion In The Workplace via the University of Pittsburgh (upcoming)

Queering Identities: LGBTQ+ Sexuality & Gender Identity via the University of Colorado (upcoming)

The Art & Science Of Relationships: Understanding Human Needs via the University of Toronto (upcoming)

Everyday Parenting: The ABCs of Child Rearing via Yale University (upcoming)

Positive Psychiatry & Mental Health via the University of Sydney (upcoming)

International Travel, Preparation, Safety & Wellness via the John Hopkins University (upcoming)

Super Earths & Life via Harvard University (upcoming)

Judaism Through Its Scriptures via Harvard University (upcoming)

Yeshiva Classes with a particular focus on Halakhah / Jewish Law & Hashkafa / Jewish Thought & Philosophy via WebYeshiva in Jerusalem (upcoming)

𝖓𝖔𝖙𝖊: 𝖘𝖚𝖇𝖏𝖊𝖈𝖙 𝖙𝖔 𝖈𝖍𝖆𝖓𝖌𝖊.

[sunaleisocial]

MIT SHASS announces appointment of new heads for 2024-25

New Post has been published on https://sunalei.org/news/mit-shass-announces-appointment-of-new-heads-for-2024-25/

MIT SHASS announces appointment of new heads for 2024-25

The MIT School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (SHASS) has announced several changes to the leadership of its academic units for the 2024-25 academic year.

“I’m confident these outstanding members of the SHASS community will provide exceptional leadership. I’m excited to see each implement their vision for the future of their unit,” says Agustin Rayo, the Kenan Sahin Dean of MIT SHASS.

Christine Walley will serve as head of the Anthropology Section. Walley is the SHASS Dean’s Distinguished Professor of Anthropology. She received a PhD in anthropology from New York University in 1999. Her first ethnography, “Rough Waters: Nature and Development in an East African Marine Park,” explored environmental conflict in rural Tanzania.

Seth Mnookin will serve as head of the Comparative Media Studies Program/Writing. Mnookin is a longtime journalist and science writer and was a 2019-20 Guggenheim Fellow. He graduated from Harvard College in 1994 with a degree in history and science, and was a 2004 Joan Shorenstein Fellow at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. Mnookin will continue in his role as director of the Graduate Program in Science Writing.

Kieran Setiya will serve as head of the Department of Linguistics and Philosophy. Setiya is a professor of philosophy and is head of the philosophy section. He works mainly in ethics, epistemology, and the philosophy of mind. He received his PhD in philosophy from Princeton University in 2002.

In the Literature Section, associate professors Sandy Alexendre and Stephanie Frampton will serve as co-heads. Alexandre’s research spans the late 19th century to present-day Black American literature and culture. She received a PhD in English language and literature from the University of Virginia in 2006. Frampton is also co-chair of the Program in Ancient and Medieval Studies. She received a PhD from Harvard University in comparative literature in 2011.

Jay Scheib will serve as head of the Music and Theater Arts Section. Scheib is Class of 1949 Professor of Music and Theater Arts. He received an MFA in theater directing from the Columbia University School of the Arts. He is a recipient of the MIT Edgerton Award, the Richard Sherwood Award, a National Endowment for the Arts/TCG fellowship, an OBIE Award for Best Direction, and the prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship.

In the Program in Science, Technology, and Society, Kate Brown will serve as head. Brown is the Thomas M. Siebel Distinguished Professor in History of Science. Her research interests illuminate the point where history, science, technology and bio-politics converge to create large-scale disasters and modernist wastelands. Brown will publish “Tiny Gardens Everywhere: A Kaleidoscopic History of the Food Sovereignty Frontier” in 2025 with W.W. Norton & Co. Brown has held fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, the Carnegie Foundation, the European University Institute, The Kennan Institute, Harvard’s Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies, and the U.S. Holocaust Museum. She ​​received her PhD in history from the University of Washington at Seattle.

In the Program in Women’s and Gender Studies, Sana Aiyar will serve as interim head. Aiyar is an associate professor of history, and is a historian of modern South Asia. She received her PhD from Harvard University in 2009 and held an Andrew Mellon postdoctoral fellowship at Johns Hopkins University in 2009-10.

[jcmarchi]

MIT SHASS announces appointment of new heads for 2024-25

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/mit-shass-announces-appointment-of-new-heads-for-2024-25/

MIT SHASS announces appointment of new heads for 2024-25

The MIT School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (SHASS) has announced several changes to the leadership of its academic units for the 2024-25 academic year.

“I’m confident these outstanding members of the SHASS community will provide exceptional leadership. I’m excited to see each implement their vision for the future of their unit,” says Agustin Rayo, the Kenan Sahin Dean of MIT SHASS.

Christine Walley will serve as head of the Anthropology Section. Walley is the SHASS Dean’s Distinguished Professor of Anthropology. She received a PhD in anthropology from New York University in 1999. Her first ethnography, “Rough Waters: Nature and Development in an East African Marine Park,” explored environmental conflict in rural Tanzania.

Seth Mnookin will serve as head of the Comparative Media Studies Program/Writing. Mnookin is a longtime journalist and science writer and was a 2019-20 Guggenheim Fellow. He graduated from Harvard College in 1994 with a degree in history and science, and was a 2004 Joan Shorenstein Fellow at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. Mnookin will continue in his role as director of the Graduate Program in Science Writing.

Kieran Setiya will serve as head of the Department of Linguistics and Philosophy. Setiya is a professor of philosophy and is head of the philosophy section. He works mainly in ethics, epistemology, and the philosophy of mind. He received his PhD in philosophy from Princeton University in 2002.

In the Literature Section, associate professors Sandy Alexendre and Stephanie Frampton will serve as co-heads. Alexandre’s research spans the late 19th century to present-day Black American literature and culture. She received a PhD in English language and literature from the University of Virginia in 2006. Frampton is also co-chair of the Program in Ancient and Medieval Studies. She received a PhD from Harvard University in comparative literature in 2011.

Jay Scheib will serve as head of the Music and Theater Arts Section. Scheib is Class of 1949 Professor of Music and Theater Arts. He received an MFA in theater directing from the Columbia University School of the Arts. He is a recipient of the MIT Edgerton Award, the Richard Sherwood Award, a National Endowment for the Arts/TCG fellowship, an OBIE Award for Best Direction, and the prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship.

In the Program in Science, Technology, and Society, Kate Brown will serve as head. Brown is the Thomas M. Siebel Distinguished Professor in History of Science. Her research interests illuminate the point where history, science, technology and bio-politics converge to create large-scale disasters and modernist wastelands. Brown will publish “Tiny Gardens Everywhere: A Kaleidoscopic History of the Food Sovereignty Frontier” in 2025 with W.W. Norton & Co. Brown has held fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, the Carnegie Foundation, the European University Institute, The Kennan Institute, Harvard’s Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies, and the U.S. Holocaust Museum. She ​​received her PhD in history from the University of Washington at Seattle.

In the Program in Women’s and Gender Studies, Sana Aiyar will serve as interim head. Aiyar is an associate professor of history, and is a historian of modern South Asia. She received her PhD from Harvard University in 2009 and held an Andrew Mellon postdoctoral fellowship at Johns Hopkins University in 2009-10.

[lboogie1906]

Dr. Marimba Ani (born Dona Richards) (July 11) is an anthropologist and African Studies scholar known for her work Yurugu, a comprehensive critique of European thought and culture, and her coining of the term “Maafa” for the African holocaust.

She completed her BA at the University of Chicago and holds an MA and Ph.D. in Anthropology from the Graduate Faculty of the New School University. In 1964, during Freedom Summer, she served as an SNCC field secretary, and married civil-rights activist Bob Moses (1964-66). She has taught as a Professor of African Studies in the Department of Black and Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College and is credited with introducing the term Maafa to describe the African holocaust.

Her work, Yurugu: An Afrikan-Centered Critique of European Cultural Thought and Behavior, examined the influence of European culture on the formation of modern institutional frameworks, through colonialism and imperialism, from an African perspective.

Examining the causes of global white supremacy, she argued that European thought implicitly believes in its superiority, stating: “European culture is unique in the assertion of political interest”.

In Yurugu, she proposed a tripartite conceptualization of culture, based on the concepts of Asili, the central seed or “germinating matrix” of a culture,

Utamawazo, “culturally structured thought” or worldview, “the way in which the thought of members of a culture must be patterned if the asili is to be fulfilled”, and

Utamaroho is a culture’s “vital force” or “energy source”, which “gives it its emotional tone and motivates the collective behavior of its members”.

The book addresses the use of the term Maafa, based on a Swahili word meaning “great disaster”, to describe slavery. African-centered thinkers have popularized and expanded on conceptualization. She argued that Europeans and white Americans had an “enormous capacity for the perpetration of physical violence against other cultures” that had resulted in “antihuman, genocidal” treatment of Blacks. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

[loubrairyofthedead]

INTRODUCTION + BOUNDARIES

Hello!! You can call us Lou or Walker, We are a polyfragmented, medically recognised DID system, Ethnically we are Korean, Japanese, Irish and Polynesian! We do not currently live in any of those places, my timezone and location is none of your business !! We are bodily a minor (17 to be exact) And we are very very happy in a committed and serious relationship with our soon to be husbands!! (Also a system!).

Some of our interests include : History (Mainly things like Chernobyl, The french revolution etc), Physical Geography (Climates, Weather, Natural disasters). We got early admission to College/University in July of last year, we have been studying Criminal Psychology and forensics since then! We also really enjoy journaling/writing things down, and listening to unhealthy amounts of music. We swim regularly and its one of my favourite things to do.

MEET OUR SYSTEM !!

Host : Oliver : They/He : ☁️ sign off. Co Host : Hoku : He/They : 🔭 sign off. Co Host : Wylie : He/They : 🗞️ sign off. Co Host : Cassius : They/It : 🧟 sign off. Gatekeeper : Penny : She/They : 🖥️ sign off.

BOUNDARIES !!

DNI : Anybody who identifies as or supports those who identify as anything other than Traumagenic as a system, Bigots, Racists, Ableists, TERS, Homophobes, Transphobes, Holocaust deniers, Radqueers, TransIDs, People who believe you can't be trans without dysphoria, People who use and abuse the term 'trauma scum' (making fun of people with trauma isnt cute babe !!), People who demonise people with Cluster Bs, Additionally, those who believe in 'Narc Abuse' (please shut the fuck up), IRLs and DAs (If you're experiencing a delusion you wouldn't know it was a delusion, therefore if you identify using IRL or DA, you aren't experiencing a delusion you're just a fucking freak, stop using the word delusion like its a conjunctive or adjective). People who support the following people: ANY of the dream team, Wilbur soot, Johnny Depp, Tom Felton/JKR, Donald trump, Drake, Vivsiepop, Kanye West. Anyone under 17 (You shouldn't be on this app, honey) THIS WILL BE EDITED

ON THIN ICE : DSMP Enjoyers, Hazbin Hotel and Helluva Boss enjoyers, Countryhumans + Hetalia enjoyers, ANYONE who is extremely loud about their religion and religious beliefs, COUNTRY MUSIC ENJOYERS (/j)

INT! : Other traumagenic systems, other anti-endos, people who enjoy The Walking Dead, NBC Hannibal, Criminal Minds, Supernatural, American Horror Story or The Umbrella Academy, Alex G listeners, Other PF systems !! 17+ Systems !!

Extra info about us

We have Autism, We also have NPD and BPD (Both diagnosed). We are only recently medically recognised with DID and want to attend fusion therapy once we learn more about it (If you have any thoughts/resources please send them to us via dms as long as you are not in our DNI!). We love our fiancé to death and yeah ^-^

[baileebrown0811]

The Rise of Found Footage Films

Found footage films have become a notable subgenre in the world of horror movies, captivating audiences with their realistic and immersive storytelling techniques. These films create an illusion of authenticity, often presenting the narrative as if it were discovered video recordings. This format blurs the line between fiction and reality, heightening the sense of suspense and fear. This blog post explores the origins of found footage, key films and directors, and dives into why this subgenre is so appealing to its fans.

The (Strange) History of Found Footage Films

Origin and Evolution

The roots of found footage films can be traced back to the 1980s, with Cannibal Holocaust (1980) often used as one of the earliest examples. Directed by Ruggero Deodato, this controversial film used mockumentary style to tell the story of a documentary crew that disappeared into the Amazon rainforest. The film’s graphic content and realistic presentation led to debates about its authenticity, with Deodato even facing legal action to prove that no one has harmed during production.

Scene from Cannibal Holocaust (1980)

However, it was the release of The Blair Witch Project (1999) that made found footage films so popular. Directed by Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez, this low-budget horror film followed three student filmmakers who venture into the woods to document the legend of the Blair Witch. The film’s marketing campaign, which included fabricated news reports and missing person posters, contributed to its success by creating an aura of mystery and realism. The movie grossed over $248 million worldwide, demonstrating the commercial potential of the found footage format.

Advertisement for The Blair Witch Project (1990)

Key Films and Directors

Following the success of The Blair Witch Project, the found footage genre saw a surge in popularity. One notable example is Paranormal Activity (2007), directed by Oren Peli. Shot on a budget of $15,000, the film depicts a young couple experiencing supernatural occurrences in their home, captured through their home video camera. The film’s success spawned a franchise and cemented its status as a cultural phenomenon.

Scene from Paranormal Activity (2007)

Cloverfield (2008), directed by Matt Reeves and produced by J.J. Abrams is another important film in the found footage subgenre. It utilizes handheld camera footage to document a monster attack in New York City, offering a unique and immersive perspective on the disaster genre. The innovative use of viral marketing and the film’s integration of social media also contributed to its widespread enthusiasm.

Clover (creature) from the film Cloverfield (2008)

In recent years, directors like David Bruckner and Adam Wingard have continued to push the boundaries of found footage. Bruckner’s segment in the anthology film V/H/S (2012) and Wingard’s Blair Witch (2016) reboot exemplify the evolution of this genre, incorporating modern technology and addressing contemporary fears.

Impact and Appeal

The appeal of found footage films lies in their ability to create an intense, voyeuristic experience for the audience. By presenting the story through the lens of a character’s camera, viewers are drawn into their narrative, experiencing events as if they were happening in real time. This experience is heightened by the films’ often low-budget, gritty aesthetics, which add to a sense of realism.

10 Scariest Found-Footage Horror Movies

According to an academic study published in The Journal of Popular Film and Television, the success of found footage films can be attributed to their subversion of traditional horror tropes and their capacity to evoke primal fears through a first-person perspective (Smith, 2018). This approach challenges viewers’ perceptions and amplifies the sense of dread.

Furthermore, as highlighted in a Variety article, the found footage format is particularly appealing to independent filmmakers due to its cost-effective nature and minimalistic production requirements. This accessibility has led to a diverse range of films within the genre, each offering unique takes on the found footage concept (Kaufman, 2020).

Additionally, in an article from The Guardian, the enduring popularity of found footage films is discussed in the context of their ability to adapt to new media landscapes, such as the rise of streaming services and the integration of social media elements into storytelling (Rose, 2020).

Scene from The Blair Witch Project (1990)

Conclusion

Found footage films have carved a unique niche in the cinematic landscape, offering a fresh and immersive approach to storytelling. From the pioneering Cannibal Holocaust to the groundbreaking Blair Witch Project and beyond, this subgenre has continually evolved, capturing the imagination of both audiences and filmmakers. Its ability to blend reality with fiction coupled with its accessibility for independent creators ensures that it will remain a compelling and influential force in cinema. 

References

Smith, J. (2018). "The Aesthetics of Fear: Found Footage Horror Films." The Journal of Popular Film and Television, 46(3), 123-135.

Kaufman, A. (2020). "Why Found Footage Horror Continues to Thrive." Variety.

Rose, S. (2020). "How Found Footage Films are Evolving with New Media." The Guardian.

[the-firebird69]

So there's a lot of people in the hospitals that were talking about the scan saying that it would be hard pressed not to show up but that they found proof and evidence right below them that it's true and the computer is picking it up and they're hearing where and how they know and what they did down there and they're telling the other computers the new schools actually these fools actually took it out and studied it and a bunch of it and they found out they're in trouble from these idiots talking and yeah they're idiots and about 20 minutes later he started sending in Androids to grab them and they had them do it on the system and they noted that they had defenses well they took them down and they marched on them and mostly it's now these pseudo military empire people and they went after them and they're causing them a lot of damage and the some people are caught and it's one of their robotic rays brains and a Thai tech and it's high-tech and they're in trouble and getting attacked at the hospitals and this happened within the past night and huge numbers of people in the hospital being abducted all of the world because we can use this

Thor Freya

What it means is we must use this and as much as we can these people are huge huge mean people they're the ones who are running the Holocaust in The Purge and we're going to go after them

Frank Castle hardcastle

It's about damn time I put a lot of effort into this and I want these people dead and I can see that the machines are doing the job and these idiots are coming in and they're expecting stuff for free and we're grabbing them I'm sick of these people too they were also the ones doing it and they're gone okay they're so disgusting it hurts and they can't keep it straight about anything

Apollo and goddess wife

There's a huge number of people going after them right now and they're going after them for what they're doing and saying and it's minority more lock and minorities our group and miscellaneous and they're saying things that are very rude and disgusting and evil and he told his mom this is a place of evil and she said this these people are very blasphemous when she got back extremely off the wall is what she said and he said we got to get to it and made up a report and sent it overseas and it's going around and they're saying this the president just telling us this country is a disaster and we have to figure out why and they figured out they can't get there and start to fight and found out that nobody's doing it and they're really moving now and you guys caused the story and don't disturb him all morning long then you're disgusting assholes

Duke nukem Blockbuster

[mrjulz]

How can society be like this?

People dying everywhere with hunger?

Famine rampantly affecting millions while the privilege just consume more and more at the cost of the planet? 

Nature is not only warning us but displays the sign of the imminent disaster 

The world is dying and burning literally and physically 

We see the oceans being poisoned whilst we burn more and more fossil fuels

Consumer capitalism is the problem. Consumption 

I've seen people living in slums in poverty on streets in desperation my whole life. 

The word genocide was created following the 2nd world war. It continues to occur and again and again. 

Why do we continue on the same path. Zigmunt Bauman wrote in his seminal work Modernity and the Holocaust that we as society are capable of evil 

Dr Martin Shaw who I studied under when I did a degree in Human Rights that there are 13 stages for genocide. We as a species continue to repeat the stages. Never again in a world I am part of. 

Dehumanizing like the Chinese are doing to the Whiugur Muslim population like the Israelis do to the Palestinians in an Apartheid state in 2023.

Absolute madness that society is and being able to understand the problems I do not want to continue with the destruction on my behalf.

The solution is simple stop don't continue with the As Is change the To Be 

I hope this happens but i wont ever stop trying to 

[tracyfance]

Inheriting More Than Just Eye Colour

What have you inherited from your parents & their family gene pool? We know that we look like our parents, or a family throwback – I have a sister who is a dead ringer for a great-grandmother! We can even get our mannerisms from our family DNA, all the way down to our likes & dislikes but did you know you can also inherit the trauma that’s in the family DNA?

Inherited Trauma

Trauma in a family can come from many different sources, not just the obvious ones. It’s probably fairly obvious that major events can cause trauma:

Disasters – Tsunami, earthquake, wildfires, floods, famine etc

War – holocaust or the battlefield

Genocide

Oppression; apartheid, political rulers

However, trauma can also come from behaviour we see or experience on a daily basis, yet these are equally traumatising; 

Familial learned behaviour  – men shouldn’t show emotion or women are not important

Abuse – cyclical where the abused becomes the abuser or just the expression in the genes of the previous abuse which can manifest in later generations

Racism/Sexism/Ageism

Witnessing violence

Domestic abuse

Alcoholism

Suicide

Loss of a loved one – prison, divorced parents, death,

Mental health issues in the family

So How Does It Work?

There are studies which show that children born to holocaust survivors but who were not born during the captivity itself, can be traumatised by the parents behaviour. It may be that the great grandparent has learned to cut off their emotions with those they love, this may mean that the grandparent is very distant with their loved ones who in turn don’t show emotions or demonstrate love openly so by the time you are born as the great grandchild, there may be trauma from the lack of love & affection. This can go both ways at this point, I often see the person who goes out of their way to express love & show love which breaks the cycle, it can however perpetuate for more than 7 generations.

Can I Clear It?

Yes, it can be cleared, you can only clear yours & that of anyone who is willing to take control & change themselves.

I recently worked with a client who had pelvic issues, they asked me if I could help them understand it better. In our session we spoke about the various beliefs that could be at the root of it (interestingly the root & naval chakras are the ones affected here), one of which was linked to sexual abuse with an ancestor. They thought about it & remembered a family story of a rape three generations back.

Another client had a legacy of the holocaust, in their family they were ‘not seen’ they were not encouraged to stand out or to shine, they felt anxious constantly & felt they were not being their authentic self, this was leading to health issues because their true self & the conditioned self are at odds with each other, the conflict will eventually manifest as a health issue.

The good news is that unlike your eye colour which you’re pretty much stuck with for life unless you have coloured contact lenses, the ancestral trauma can be cleared.

How Do I Clear It

You’ll need to uncover the issue & the beliefs that go with it & then either on your own or with a professional work to create the beliefs that align to your true self. In the instance of the children of the holocaust survivor, simply being able to stand out, to shine, to be seen & heard will transform them.

I use a combination of metaphysical health, Reiki & NLP (neuro-linguistic programming). 

Ancestral Karma

There may be some Ancestral Karma involved & your role this lifetime is to clear the karma. Did you know we can reincarnate as our own descendants?

Imagine that in a previous lifetime you were responsible for the Glencoe Massacre (this is an event in the Scottish mountains where the British government under the Earl of Argyll Archibald Campbell massacred 30 or more of the Clan MacDonald because they wouldn’t swear allegiance). So you may have been Archibald Campbell in 1692 & your soul is now having a life as one of his descendants.

This event was over 330 years ago but there is still animosity between the clans, feeding the trauma.

We can use the Akashic Records, Quantum Healing & Reiki to heal the past so there are various tools that can be used. 

Outcome

Can you see how the past can create our reality & how it can affect us many years after the trauma actually happened? Think about the stories you know about in your family, what impact have they had on your relatives and what impact are they having on you and your children now? Don’t feel guilty about, but do take control of matters sooner, rather than later.

[mrlnsfrt]

God With Us 2022 Part 3

In God With Us part 1, I explored the evidence for God’s desire to be with us found in the creation account.

In God With Us part 2, I explored the birth of Jesus and what it reveals to us regarding the heart of God. This is the third and final post of this series and I will explore Jesus’ promise to come again to be with us and to take us to be with Him.

" “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. "  -- John 14:1-3 NKJV

Jesus was very clear. He will come again to receive us to Himself so that where He is we can be also. Jesus wants to be with us and this understanding helps keep my heart from being troubled.

The Apocalypse

Many associate the apocalypse with scary events causing them to be afraid of the second coming of Jesus. The Greek word Apokalypsis (ἀποκάλυψις) means disclosure:—appearing, coming, lighten, manifestation, be revealed, revelation. (Strong’s definition) In Portuguese and Spenish and perhaps other languages as well the last book of the Bible is referred to by the Greek word or its transliteration. In English, we have the translation of the Greek so we call the last book of the Bible Revelation, which is less scary than calling it the book of Apocalypse!

There’s a whole genre of post-apocalyptic writing, movies, and games. Meriam Webster defines postapocalyptic as existing or occurring after a catastrophically destructive disaster or apocalypse.

As a student of the Bible, I find this fascinating. Here is a secular term that cannot be understood without a reference to the book of Revelation. The problem I see in this is that the entire book of Revelation is summarized as essentially a catastrophic destruction of life on planet earth. If you never read the book of Revelation you would think it describes a nuclear holocaust or maybe zombies. Yes, Zombie Apocalypse literally means a zombie revelation or uncovering, but in our cultural context, it means the collapse of society due to an overwhelming swarm of zombies.

So we avoid the book of Revelation, we are afraid of it. We don’t talk much about the second coming of Jesus because that’s going to happen at the end of time and that will be terrible and scary right? Except that the followers of Jesus seem to look forward to that day. Paul refers to it as the blessed hope of the glorious appearing of Jesus!

11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works. - Titus 2:11-14 NKJV (bold mine)

I grew up in the Seventh-day Adventist faith and I have heard my share of scary end time sermons. However, the more I study the Bible for myself the more I am convinced that the second coming of Jesus is an event we ought to look forward to! Jesus wants to be with me and I want to be with Him, why would I not want Him to come soon?

If I am not looking for the soon coming of Jesus what am I going to look forward to?

I Will Come Again

In John 14:3 Jesus clearly states that He will come again to receive us to Himself that where He is there we may be also. It is clear that Jesus desires to be with us. Not only did He create us, but He also came and was born as one of us, lived for over 30 years as a human, and died so that we might live with Him. If we believe this to be true how could we doubt that He will come again?

9 Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. 10 And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, 11 who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.” - Acts 1:9-11 NKJV

When Jesus went up into heaven two men in white apparel, I believe they were angels, told Jesus’ followers that He would come again like He went up. That is, Jesus would not be born again as a baby, but rather He would come in the clouds. I would argue that the second coming of Jesus is what motivates the efforts of the apostles to proclaim Jesus to the whole world.

25 “And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; 26 men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.” - Luke 21:25-28 NKJV (bold mine)

Luke 21:27 records Jesus making this same point. His second coming will not be like His birth, that most people missed. It will be a glorious event!

7 Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen. - Revelation 1:7 NKJV

John describes the second coming of Jesus using similar words and adds that this time every eye shall see Him. He also adds an interesting line, “And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him.”

John is the last living disciple and he is writing from the island of Patmos, where he was exiled. He writes to the early church who is being persecuted and he encourages them, that even though people are putting their lives on the line when they choose to follow Jesus it is worth it because He is coming again and there will be a reversal. When Jesus comes, it is those who are in power, those who are persecuting the followers of Jesus who will mourn.

The description of Jesus coming in the clouds probably also brought up in the mind of Jesus’ followers the prophecy found in Daniel 7.

13 “I was watching in the night visions, And behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, And they brought Him near before Him. 14 Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, Which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one Which shall not be destroyed. - Daniel 7:13-14 NKJV (bold mine)

Matthew 24 records Jesus using similar language while describing His second coming to His disciples.

30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. - Matthew 24:30-31NKJV (bold mine)

Jesus’ assertion that He would come again in the clouds with great power contributed to Him being sentenced to death.

64 Jesus said to him, “It is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

65 Then the high priest tore his clothes, saying, “He has spoken blasphemy! What further need do we have of witnesses? Look, now you have heard His blasphemy! 66 What do you think?”

They answered and said, “He is deserving of death.” - Matthew 26:64-66 NKJV (bold mine)

The second coming of Jesus is not a new teaching. It is not a small detail, it is the culmination of the plan of salvation! If I share with you how God created the world (God with us part 1), and about how God became flesh and dwelt among us and died for us and was raised again from the dead (God with us part 2), I should not avoid talking about the second coming of Jesus in the clouds with great power and glory.

Judgment

As a Christ follower living in the United States, I must admit it is quite comfortable to be a Christian. Sure there are inconveniences, but nobody is trying to kill me. Following Jesus does not mean putting my life on the line. And I wonder if this is the reason why so many, at least in the western world, seem to avoid talking about the second coming of Jesus. When you are being persecuted and have to rely on God to provide for you every day of your life you long for Him to come soon. But what happens when you’re living comfortably and it feels like you don’t need God all that much?

What happens when you have a comfortable place to live, access to plenty of food and quality health care? Suddenly the second coming of Jesus is not as important. Sure He will come someday in the future, around the time of the end of the world, but we don’t have to worry about it now. So the second coming of Jesus, the Revelation of Jesus Christ, coming in the clouds with great power and glory becomes the apocalypse, a scary event in the distant future that we do not talk about.

We read the gospels but skip the parts like Matthew 24-25, and especially portions like Matthew 25:31-32.

31 “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. - Matthew 25:31-32 NKJV

We become comfortable with baby Jesus born in a manger. We like Jesus meek and mild. We weep at the thought of Him dying on the cross for our sins. But why do we shy away from talking about Jesus coming in His glory to judge the nations? Does it make us uncomfortable? Why would the second coming of Jesus make us uncomfortable?

Jesus gives us salvation as a gift. We do not have to earn it or work for it. We should not be afraid of His judgment. But life looks different in light of the second coming does it not? The imminence of the second coming of Jesus readjusts our priorities.

Let me put it a little differently. When you look at your life, what you consider a success and a failure change depending on your views regarding the second coming of Jesus. When you plan for the future, what you emphasize and where you invest your time and effort change depending on your views regarding the second coming of Jesus.

I want to be very clear about this. Please read carefully. I am not saying “panic and head for the hills.” I am not saying “become a monk and move to the mountains.” I am not saying do more good deeds because Santa Clause is coming to town and you don’t want to receive a lump of coal instead of the gift from your wishlist.

What I am saying is that Jesus is coming soon, and you should organize your life accordingly. This means being intentional about being about the Master’s business. (For more see my series on the Parable of the Talents)

I am not telling you to focus on yourself. Attempts to save yourself will fail because they spring from a selfish heart. Salvation is not about just saying the name of Jesus. Spiritual abuse is a real thing. Much harm has been done by those in power who claimed to be doing so in the name of Jesus.

21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ - Matthew 7:21-23 NKJV

What I am telling you is to live your life focused on those you can help. Minister to others not out of a desire to save yourself, but out of love for the other.

In Matthew 25:31-46 Jesus illustrates the final judgment as Him separating the sheep from the goats. At first glance, it seems like the judgment is based on actions or behavior. The difference between the sheep and the goats seems to be based on how they treated those in need. This would indicate that salvation is based on works and good deeds earn you eternal life. But a more careful reading of the text reveals that salvation is not based on the actions but rather on the heart. The behavior only revealed the condition of the heart.

37 “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? 38 When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? 39 Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ 40 And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’ - Matthew 25:37-40 NKJV

Based on these verses, the righteous are surprised by Jesus’ claim regarding how they lived their lives. This means that the righteous were not aware they were “doing the things” they needed to do in order to be saved. If salvation was by works, the doers of the work would have been doing good deeds intentionally hoping to receive a reward. But when they are surprised by the reward it reveals they were simply living their lives, not expecting a reward, but simply doing what they felt like doing. They fed the hungry because their hearts had been softened by the presence of Jesus. They gave drinks to the thirsty because it gave them joy to be able to do something for someone else who was in need. They helped strangers and clothed the naked, cared for the sick, and visited those in prison because it felt like the right thing to do. The righteous did good deeds not to earn their salvation, but because they were saved. They lived as Jesus lived. Helping those in need felt right, it was worthwhile for them.

Priorities

I don’t want you to live your life afraid of the judgment. I don’t want you to have nightmares about the apocalypse. I want you to live a life of adventure and service because when you realize what God has done for you you experience a desire to discover what you can do for others. I want you to live an exciting and challenging life shaped by mission, by a desire to serve, to share the good news, and to introduce others to the God who has loved them all along.

What is God calling you to do?

This is not about earning your salvation, but about living out your life as one who is saved. Life is about living out of the overflow of what God does for you. Life is about receiving blessings from God and becoming a blessing to others.

Service begins in the home, to those closest to you, and from the home, it spreads outward to those around you. We serve those closest to us, then our neighbors, co-workers, classmates, and on and on serving and helping as many as God calls us to serve.

None of us can do everything, but all of us can do something.

What is God calling you to do?

Who will you serve this week? This Month? This year?

Prayerfully consider this, and put it into action. Jesus is coming soon, and there is a world that is dying in desperate need of the gospel, and of help, and of love.